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GOLD MEDAL SPOTLIGHT

Gold Medal Gift Guide

Gold Medal Gift Guide

Surely you know somebody who loves outdoor cooking who deserves a gift for the holidays, birthday, anniversary, or just for being wonderful. There he is, right in the mirror! Here are our selections of best ideas, all Pitmaster Award winners or Gold Medalist, listed by price.

Masterbuilt MPS 340/G ThermoTemp XL Propane Smoker

The First Propane Smoker With A Thermostat Makes This Baby Foolproof

Set ThermoTemp's dial from 175° to 350°F and the thermostat inside will adjust the burner just like an indoor kitchen oven. All you need to do is add wood to the tray above the burner to start smokin'.

If you have a Weber Kettle, you need the Slow 'N' Sear

The Good-One Is A Superb Grill And A Superb Smoker All In One

The Good-One Open Range is a charcoal grill with an offset smoke chamber attached. It is dramatically different from a traditional offset smoker. The grill sits low in front and doubles as a firebox for the smoke chamber which is spliced on above and behind so it can work like a horizontal offset smoker only better. By placing the heat source behind and under the smokebox instead of off to the side, Open Range produces even temperature from left to right, something almost impossible to achieve with a standard barrel shaped offset.

G&F Suede Welder's Gloves

Heat Resistant Gloves With Extra Long Sleeves Hold The Hot Stuff

If you're using oven mitts at the grill, it's time to trade up. Say hello to these suede welder's gloves. They're heat resistant enough to handle hot grill grates, and flexible enough to handle tongs. The extra long sleeves even let you reach deep into the firebox to move hot logs without getting burned. Our Fave.

Is This Superb Charcoal Grill A Kamado Killer?

The PK-360, with 360 square inches of cooking space, this rust free, cast aluminum charcoal grill is durable and easy to use. Four-way venting means it's easy to set up for two zone cooking with more control than single vent Kamado grills. It is much easier to set up for 2-zone cooking than any round kamado. Beautifully designed and completely portable. Meathead says it is his preferrred grill.

GrillGrates Take Gas Grills To The Infrared Zone

GrillGrates(TM) amplify heat, prevent flareups, make flipping foods easier, keep small foods from committing suicide, kill hotspots, are easier to clean, flip over to make a fine griddle, and can be easily removed and moved from one grill to another. You can even throw wood chips, pellets, or sawdust between the rails and deliver a quick burst of smoke to whatever is above. Every gas grill needs them.

The Pit Barrel Cooker May Be Too Easy

The PBC has a rabid cult following for good reason. It is absolutely positively without a doubt the best bargain on a smoker in the world. Period. This baby will cook circles around the cheap offset sideways barrel smokers in the hardware stores because temperature control is so much easier. Best of all, it is only $299 delivered to your door!

Our Favorite Backyard Smoker

The amazing Karubecue is the most innovative smoker in the world. The quality of meat from this machine is astonishing. At its crux is a patented firebox that burns logs above the cooking chamber and sucks heat and extremely clean blue smoke into the thermostat controlled oven. It is our favorite smoker, period.

More Cooking Science And Mythbusting (cont'd)

There is no need to soak wood before cooking with it. Water doesn't penetrate wood. That's why they make boats from it! Discover the science behind wood combustion, smoke, and the best way to use chips, chunks and logs for smoking and grilling with wood. read more

Stop worrying about resting meat after it is cooked. Serve it hot. We bust this myth with a review of the scientific research, some tests of our own, some basic meat science, explanations of carryover cooking and what makes meat juicy, a look at doneness temperatures, and how carving comes into play. read more

Conventional wisdom says you should keep the grill lid closed at all times. What do precise measurements tell us? It turns out that opening the lid may not have a huge effect on the grill's ambient temperature. Learn about all the variables and whether or not a steady temperature makes a big difference anyway. read more

Do not bring your meat to room temperature before cooking it. That is a myth that poses a food safety risky. Letting meat sit at room temperature for a few minutes may be OK, but it's safer and better to simply take your meat from the refrigerator to the cooker. Here's why. read more

The fat on the outside of meat does not melt and penetrate the muscle fibers making the meat moister. That is a myth. Here's the science on different types of fat, what happens as fat heats and melts, and the best way to trim meats before cooking to create the most delicious browned bark or crust. read more

"Tender at the bone" is a common phrase in cooking. It leads many cooks to believe that bone-in meat tastes better than boneless meat. Is it true? Do bones add flavor to meat or somehow make meat more tender near the bone? We have the answers, and they may surprise you. read more

Recipes often tell you to cook food until it is browned. Why? Browning is flavor! The most important chemical changes in food occur when heat initiates the Maillard reaction and caramelization. These processes make food GBD: Golden Brown and Delicious. Read on to find out how it all works. read more

Don't you hate it when food sticks to your grill grates? This article explains how to prevent it: keep your grill grates clean and use the right temperature for the food you're cooking. Maybe lubricate the food (not the grates) with some oil. Some fish baskets and grill toppers may also help prevent sticking. read more

There are times when basting helps and times when it hurts. Find out how applying liquid to the surface of meat with basting, mopping and spritzing may inhibit the formation of your crust or bark and lengthen cooking time while attracting smoke and improving flavor. It depends on what you're cooking and for how long. read more

If you must cook your meat in advance and serve it the next day, here are some useful tips, courtesy of award-winning pitmaster Mike Wozniak. His tips and tricks work wonders for make-ahead smoked beef brisket and pork shoulder and can even be used for barbecued ribs if you're in a pinch. read more

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